Sutera plant named &#39;winsusnogl&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Sutera  plant named ‘WINSUSNOGL’, characterized by its low mounding to outwardly spreading and trailing plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy plant form; early and freely flowering habit; large light purple-colored flowers; long flowering season; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Sutera cordata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘WINSUSNOGL’.

Cross-reference to a related application and statement regarding prior disclosures by Inventor/Applicant:

This application claims priority to a Canadian Plant Breeders' Rights application filed on Apr. 10, 2019, application number 19-9755. There have been no offers for sale anywhere in the world prior to the effective filing date of this Application and no accessibility to one of ordinary skill in the art could have been derived from the printed Plant Breeder's Rights documents.

The Inventor/Applicant asserts that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor. Applicant claims a prior art exemption under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Sutera plant, botanically known as Sutera cordata and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘WINSUSNOGL’.

The new Sutera plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Alajuela, Costa Rica and Carleton, Mich. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely-branching and trailing Sutera plants with numerous large blue-colored flowers and high temperature tolerance.

The new Sutera plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in November, 2016 in Alajuela, Costa Rica of Sutera cordata ‘Betty Blue’, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with Sutera cordata ‘Scopia Great Azure’, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Sutera plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Carleton, Mich. on Nov. 1, 2017.

Asexual reproduction of the new Sutera plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Zeeland, Mich. since Dec. 11, 2017 has shown that the unique features of this new Sutera plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Sutera have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘WINSUSNOGL’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘WINSUSNOGL’ as a new and distinct Sutera plant:

1. Low mounding to outwardly spreading and trailing plant habit.

2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.

3. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy plant form.

4. Early and freely flowering habit.

5. Large light purple-colored flowers.

6. Long flowering season.

7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Sutera can be compared to plants of the female parent, ‘Betty Blue’. Plants of the new Sutera differ primarily from plants of ‘Betty Blue’ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Sutera are larger than plants of ‘Betty Blue’.

2. Plants of the new Sutera have larger flowers than plants of ‘Betty Blue’.

3. Flowers of plants of the new Sutera are lighter in color than flowers of plants of ‘Betty Blue’.

Plants of the new Sutera can be compared to plants of the male parent, ‘Scopia Great Azure’. Plants of the new Sutera differ primarily from plants of ‘Scopia Great Azure’ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Sutera are more vigorous and stronger than plants of ‘Scopia Great Azure’.

2. Plants of the new Sutera are more trailing than plants of ‘Scopia Great Azure’.

3. Plants of the new Sutera are more freely branching than plants of ‘Scopia Great Azure’.

4. Flowers of plants of the new Sutera are lighter in color than flowers of plants of ‘Scopia Great Azure’.

Plants of the new Sutera can be compared to plants of the Sutera cordata ‘Gulliver Blue Sensation’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Sutera differ primarily from plants of ‘Gulliver Blue Sensation’ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Sutera are more freely flowering and flower more continuously during the summer than plants of ‘Gulliver Blue Sensation’.

2. Flowers of plants of the new Sutera are darker in color than flowers of plants of ‘Gulliver Blue Sensation’.

Plants of the new Sutera can also be compared to plants of the Sutera cordata ‘MegaCopa Sky Blue’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Sutera differ primarily from plants of ‘MegaCopa Sky Blue’ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Sutera are more trailing than plants of ‘MegaCopa Sky Blue’.

2. Plants of the new Sutera are more freely branching than flowers of plants of ‘MegaCopa Sky Blue’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Sutera plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Sutera plant. At the top of the photographic sheet (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘WINSUSNOGL’ grown in a container and at the bottom of the photographic sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘WINSUSNOGL’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the spring in 15-cm containers in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada and under cultural practices typical of commercial Sutera production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 27° C. and night temperatures averaged 15° C. Plants were pinched three weeks after propagating rooted cuttings and were six weeks from planting rooted cuttings when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Sutera cordata.—‘WINSUSNOGL’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Sutera cordata ‘Betty Blue’, not             patented.         -   Male or pollen parent.—Sutera cordata ‘Scopia Great Azure’,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About seven to             ten days at soil temperatures ranging from about 21° C. to             22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three to             four weeks at soil temperatures ranging from about 21° C. to             22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four to             five weeks at soil temperatures ranging from about 21° C. to             22° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             creamy white in color, actual color of the roots is             dependent on substrate composition, water quality,             fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and             physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Low mounding to outwardly spreading             and trailing plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit;             moderate growth rate.         -   Plant height.—About 15.2 cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 42.2 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit; when pinched, about             five primary lateral branches each with up to 14 secondary             lateral branches develop per plant; dense and bushy plant             form.         -   Length, primary laterals.—About 14.5 cm.         -   Diameter, primary laterals.—About 1.1 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 2.5 cm.         -   Strength.—Moderately strong.         -   Aspect.—Horizontally spreading to trailing.         -   Texture and luster.—Moderately to densely pubescent; matte.         -   Color, developing.—Close to 144B.         -   Color, developed.—Close to 144A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Before flowering, alternate; after flowering,             opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 1.7 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.3 cm.         -   Shape.—Broadly elliptic to obovate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Cuneate.         -   Margin.—Dentate, not lobed.         -   Texture and luster, upper surface.—Sparsely pubescent;             matte.         -   Texture and luster, lower surface.—Moderately pubescent;             matte.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate, reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 144A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 144A to 144B.             Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137A to             N137B; venation, close to 144B. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 144B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 2.7 mm. Diameter: About 2.7 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Texture and luster, upper and             lower surfaces: Sparse to moderately pubescent; matte.             Color, upper surface: Close to 144B. Color, lower surface:             Close to 147B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement.—Large single salverform flowers; freely             flowering habit with potentially about 700 flower buds and             open flowers per plant at one time; flowers face mostly             upright then turning outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering habit.—Early flowering habit, plants begin             flowering about five weeks after planting; long flowering             season, plants flower continuously from the spring until the             autumn in Southern Ontario.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about five days on the plant;             flowers not persistent.         -   Flower diameter.—About 2.4 cm.         -   Flower length (height).—About 1.3 cm.         -   Throat diameter.—About 7 mm.         -   Tube length.—About 1 cm.         -   Tube diameter, base.—About 1.5 mm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Shape: Obovate. Texture and luster: Densely pubescent;             matte. Color: Close to N88D.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five per flower in a             single whorl; fused at the base. Lobe length: About 8.6 mm.             Lobe width: About 10.2 mm. Lobe shape: Roughly orbicular.             Lobe apex: Obtuse, rounded. Lobe margin: Entire, slightly             undulate. Texture and luster, petal lobes, upper surface:             Smooth, glabrous; matte. Texture and luster, petal lobes,             lower surface: Moderately pubescent; matte. Texture and             luster, throat: Sparse to moderately pubescent, matte.             Texture and luster, tube: Moderately pubescent, matte.             Color: Petal lobes, when opening, upper surface: Close to             85B. Petal lobes, when opening, lower surface: Close to 85C.             Petal lobes, fully opened, upper surface: Close to 85B to             85C; venation, close to 85B; color becoming closer to 91B to             91C with development. Petal lobes, fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 85B; towards the base, close to 85D;             venation, close to 85D; color becoming closer to 91B to 91C             with development. Throat: Distally, close to 155A;             mid-section, close to 23A and proximally, close to 17A.             Tube: Close to 22A and towards the base, close to 22B.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five per flower in a             single whorl; fused at the base; calyx, star-shaped. Length:             About 5.4 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Lanceolate to             linear. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster,             upper surface: Glabrous; matte. Texture and luster, lower             surface: Moderately pubescent; matte. Color: When opening,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 137C. Fully opened, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 137B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 7.3 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm.             Angle: About 45° from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong.             Texture and luster: Moderately pubescent; matte. Color:             Close to 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity of stamens per             flower: About four. Filament length: About 1 cm. Filament             color: Close to 157D. Anther shape: Oval. Anther size: About             1.5 mm by 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 13A. Amount of             pollen: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 14A. Gynoecium:             Quantity of pistils per flower: One. Pistil length: About             1.3 cm. Style length: About 1 cm. Style color: Close to             145B. Stigma size: About 1 mm by 2 mm. Stigma shape:             Lanceolate. Stigma color: Close to 145B. Ovary color: Close             to 144A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit production have             not been observed on plants of the new Sutera. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Sutera have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain and to be     suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11. -   Pathogen & pest tolerance: To date, plants of the new Sutera have     not been observed to be tolerant to pathogens and pests common to     Sutera plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Sutera plant named ‘WINSUSNOGL’ as illustrated and described. 